Unionized Raven Software staff file complaint accusing Microsoft and Activision of "bad faith bargaining"
Unionized employees at Call of Duty developer Raven Software have filed a complaint against parent companies Activision and Microsoft, accusing them of stalling negotiations on employee contracts.
The details:
Plans to unionize at Raven began in early 2022, following layoffs in its QA team, and a vote to unionize was won in May of that year, despite Activision's poor attempts to persuade employees to vote against it. When Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard last year, it confirmed that it would recognize and negotiate with unions at its studios.
As reported by Game File, staff have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Microsoft and Activision are guilty of "refusal to bargain / bad faith bargaining." "After Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, our members were optimistic that they would progress quickly to a first contract at Raven Software,” CWA president Claude Cummings Jr said. “Unfortunately, that has not happened. We encourage Microsoft to address the concerns raised in the Unfair Labor Practice charge and make reaching a fair agreement a priority.”
Microsoft has also responded to the situation, telling Game File that it is "committed to negotiating in good faith," but did not go into detail about the claims.
Although the CWA did not provide any additional information about the accusations, Game File reports that other allegations made against the companies in the complaint include "changes in terms and conditions of employment" and "concerted activities (retaliation, discharge, discipline)."
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